Magical Tool Master Dahlia Never Compromises ~ Starting Today: Life as a Freelancer ~

"I see. I won't ask how you did it, but this is something worth celebrating."

Atya winked at the waiter beside her, and the waiter brought the wine glasses and white wine to the table.

"I also want to walk alone in the streets of the royal capital."

This wish may never come true. She knew it herself, but she still raised her glass happily.

"Congratulations on your return from your journey. Cheers."

"Thanks for being so lucky. Cheers."

The wine glasses made a crisp clinking sound, and both of them raised their glasses to their lips at the same time.

Wolff sipped his wine silently and started the conversation first.

"On my way back from my trip, I met an interesting woman."

"Oh, I rarely hear you bring up things like this. Have you already spent the night with him?"

"We chatted about everything until morning and became friends."

"That's great! You have a new friend."

"Yes, I'm really lucky to have met her."

Atya looked at the smiling young man with a hint of nostalgia in her expression.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Wolf first met Atya a month after joining the monster subjugation team.

One day, he suddenly received a white envelope with the Duke's seal, inviting him to have afternoon tea.

He had never accepted such an invitation, but a sentence in the letter touched his heart.

The delicate handwriting read: "Let's talk about Vanessa's past."

Vanessa was Wolfe's mother's name.

He heard that his mother had protected Atya and that they had known each other for a long time. Although he was a little wary of her, he was finally attracted by his mother's name and decided to meet Atya.

The Duke's family sent a carriage to meet him and invited him into the mansion.

When they first met, Wolf was shocked by her ageless beauty and inexplicably reminded him of his mother, even though they looked nothing alike. And Atya's first words were, "You look so much like your mother."

They sat at the table, and Wolff pretended to drink his tea while listening to her.

"Your mother and I have been friends since elementary school. I once told her that I wanted a female knight to protect me. After she graduated from high school, I begged her to stay and not learn bridal etiquette. I didn't expect your father would still take a fancy to her..."

"So that's it."

"We're good friends, regardless of status or gender. We've been together ever since we met. I thought we'd be able to continue walking together even after graduating from high school..."

Atya was talking to her as if she were a lover. Wolf didn't know what to say and could only look at her silently.

"Vanessa... is incredibly important to me."

Atya took off the golden pendant hidden in her chest and placed it on the table.

When I opened the cover, I found photos of three adorable children inside. They must be Eta's children, with blond hair and blue or green eyes.

The rose-colored nails turned the pendant shell, revealing a portrait underneath.

That was his mother's appearance in her youth. Even though she was wearing her college uniform, Wolff still felt nostalgic.

At first glance, the mother's face looks expressionless, but she is actually smiling.

Only those close to me know this.

"……I see."

Wolff didn't know whether this feeling was friendship or love.

But he could feel that the woman in front of him still cared about his mother.

"I have a favor to ask of you. Please tell me...about your time together and what happened before her death."

Wolfe recounted his memories of himself and his mother bit by bit, and explained how she finally left.

Aiteya did not interrupt from beginning to end, but listened attentively and nodded occasionally.

Wolff didn't mention the family's inner workings, but he assumed Atya knew. And she didn't ask about it.

By the time he finished speaking, afternoon tea had long since ended and it was evening.

When he came to his senses, he realized that he had let his guard down and drank three cups of black tea.

"Thank you for telling me this. It's getting late, let's have dinner together. Do you drink?"

"good."

"So you can drink?"

Wolff had not expected to have dinner with her. During the meal, it was Atya's turn to talk about his mother.

While solving math problems at the elementary school, they shared a mutual sigh, sparking a conversation. Vanessa's close friends called her "Van." Her hair often clung to school, so Atya taught her how to braid it. Vanessa yearned for the life of an adventurer; they'd stay up all night reading adventure stories, only to be late together the next day. Vanessa had been a skilled swordsman since her school days, but during a field trip, she screamed in pain at the sight of a bug—Wolf had never known his mother had these aspects.

"Fan's beauty stands out so much in the crowd that she often says she wants a new look. Before she became my bodyguard, she was even pursued by a high-ranking noble. You must be troubled by her resemblance, right?"

Wolff knew that his expression must have been grim when he heard this question.

He regretted not having inherited his mother's magical abilities, but instead resembled her in this respect.

"Honestly, I find it quite annoying."

"Do you need help introducing you to a good family to marry into?"

"I plan to leave this house... in the future. I don't have the five major magical powers, and my family won't force me to go on blind dates or participate in family activities."

Wolfe told the other party that his relationship with his family was weak and it was impossible for him to learn magic.

Could it be that the lady invited him here to help him find someone? This thought couldn't help but cross Wolfe's mind. However, as if seeing through him, Atya curled her red lips into a seductive smile.

"Well, let me tell you a very effective, yet very unconventional method, Wolfred."

He was not surprised or unhappy when Atya called him by his name, but felt it was very natural.

"You can come stay overnight at my place occasionally, and I'll prepare a room for you. You can also pick me up when I attend a dinner party. We're both easily noticed, and others will talk about our relationship when they see us."

"That will cause you trouble."

Atya meant for Wolf to pretend to be her lover.

If Wolff were to associate with the Duchess, his dating offers and female suitors would indeed decrease significantly. However, this would be a major scandal for Atya, and Wolff was not happy about it.

"This proposal isn't just for your benefit. After my husband passed away, I've been fed up with the number of people wanting to be my lover. I told my sons that I wanted a decent man around who wouldn't cause them any trouble, and they all agreed. This isn't a problem for me at all; it's actually something I can use as a topic of conversation."

"is that so……?"

"Wolfred, are you not used to the 'noble way of thinking'? If you accept, it will be like doing me a favor, and I will pay you accordingly. Is there anything you would like?"

"Then please teach me the noble way of thinking and teach me how to dance."

He knew almost nothing about the nobles' way of thinking, but since he worked in the royal city, he still had to understand a little.

Since social dancing requires dancing with women, he'd avoided it since school. But then, he didn't dance at his brother's wedding, which only made him stand out. It seemed he had to learn.

Wolf listed two things he was not good at and made this request.

"No problem. Come to think of it... Fan also put in a lot of hard work to learn how to dance. It makes me miss him."

"Mother...never danced with me."

His mother had never taught him to dance, nor had she ever danced with him. She had only taught him swordsmanship, perhaps because she had no expectation that he would learn any of the etiquette of aristocracy.

However, the woman in front of him said bluntly:

"Of course. She only knows how to dance male steps, as she learned them just to be my partner. I'm probably the only one she's ever danced with."

"So that's it."

"Fan has excellent motor skills and a unique sense of rhythm. She often steps on my feet..."

This was the first time that Atya spoke with a frown today, and Wolf couldn't help laughing out loud.

After that, Wolf spent several years learning the aristocratic thinking patterns, etiquette and dancing techniques from Eta.

Learning aristocratic knowledge was a great help to Wolff. Otherwise, he wouldn't even understand the most basic hints.

As for dancing, although he didn't have the opportunity to dance outside, he found it quite interesting to learn dancing from Atya and the dance teacher.

They see each other once or twice a month, like aunt and nephew, and like teacher and student.

Wolff was happy and grateful for this, but after spending some time with him, he gradually discovered one thing.

Atya didn't see him, but looked through him at her mother Vanessa.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

"I'm going on an expedition tomorrow to exterminate the giant frogs."

"It's that season again."

The frog eradication operations last year and the year before were also carried out during this period.

Although it's not very pretty, this is gradually becoming a seasonal feature.

"Then after the expedition, please pick me up at the dinner party someday."

"Yes, I'd love to."

After a few small talk, Wolff left earlier than usual.

Aitya did not stop him.

"This is for you. You can enjoy it with your new friends when you return from your expedition."

"……thank you."

The waiter showed Wolff the red wooden box and carefully wrapped it in white cloth.

He knew that it contained wine, so he did not refuse it but accepted it with a smile.

Aitya tried giving him pocket money and travel expenses a few times, but he almost never accepted them. Even if he did, he would return the favor with a gift of similar value the next time they met.

All he would accept was wine, food, and a tie clip as a birthday gift.

In the end, Atya was still blocked outside the boundaries he drew.

"Be careful on your way, Wolfred."

After watching him bow and leave, Atya closed her eyes.

This was the first time Wolff had brought up the topic of women without being troubled, and it was also the first time Atya had heard him call a woman a "friend." He smiled innocently as he spoke.

That must have been a great encounter.

He probably genuinely believed that he had established a good friendship.

However, friendship between young men and women can easily turn into love.

As soon as one party becomes obsessed with the other, the relationship can easily deteriorate.

The young boy didn't notice that his eyes lit up with joy when he mentioned that friend.

Wolff never included anyone within the boundaries he drew, and Atya was very happy to see such a big change in him.

Unfortunately, the friend with whom she could share this story is no longer around.

"When will you realize you're about to get the measles? Will this relationship fade? Gradually crumble? Or will you take this secret to your grave..."

Aitaya smiled at the portrait in the pendant.

"That's exciting. Right, Fan?"

The portrait of a woman who appears expressionless at first glance, now appears to be smiling bitterly.

Volume 2 ◆ Dinner with friends

As the red sunset gradually disappeared in the sky, Irma and Marcella arrived at the Green Tower.

Today, all three of them were finally free, so Dalia invited them to the Green Tower for a drink.

"Dalia! I'm shocked. You look so beautiful! This suits you so well!"

Irma, wearing a red dress, immediately hugged Dalia as soon as she entered the Green Tower.

The power of makeup is truly remarkable. Just by adding some lines and applying some color to her face, her face became much more beautiful than before, surprising even herself.